Shedd the Straw Campaign – A Movement that began at the Shedd Aquarium

The Shedd Aquarium launched its Shedd the Straw Campaign on Earth Day, April 22, 2017 and since then, this campaign has quietly and quickly become a movement. The goal of the campaign is to inspire Chicagoans to remove single-use plastic straws from their everyday life in order to reduce the amount of plastic pollution that enters our oceans, lakes and rivers.

Skipping the straw

Can you believe that “Used for convenience and provided free-of-charge, Americans use an estimated 500 million straws a day—the same weight as 1,000 cars, which is close to 3 million pounds. Straws, which are made of a petroleum byproduct called polypropylene mixed with colorants and plasticizers, do not biodegrade naturally in the environment”? Because they are also nearly impossible to recycle, and most straw-users trash their plastic straws when done, every straw ever used most likely still exists on this planet, even if as smaller pieces of plastic.

Volunteers at Shedd Aquarium’s local beach clean-ups in Chicago collected 75 plastic straws and stirrer sticks at one site and at another local beach clean up collected 414 straws and stirrers. These statistics from single-day clean-ups at specific beaches in Chicago demonstrate how many plastic straws are being left behind here in Chicago, polluting Lake Michigan and the Chicago River.

The impact of plastic

Animals, such as fish, seals, sea lions, otters, birds and whales are harmed by plastics in which they become entangled. Additionally, many animals mistake plastic trash for food, nibbling on it or ingesting it entirely. When ingested, animals can die from a lack of nutrition, despite a full stomach. This is true for seabirds and for the fish in the Great Lakes.

Shedd Aquarium became one of 19 accredited aquariums across the United States announcing the joint creation of a new Aquarium Conservation Partnership (ACP) focused on addressing one of the gravest threats facing ocean and freshwater animals – plastic pollution. A founding member of the collaborative, Shedd is now a plastic bag and plastic straw-free facility and is asking the public to join them in the shift away from single-use plastics as part of a nationwide consumer campaign launching today.

Plastic litter

"Approximately 22 million pounds of plastic flows into the Great Lakes each year - in Lake Michigan alone, it is equivalent to 100 Olympic-sized swimming pools filled with bottles," said Shedd Aquarium President and CEO Dr. Bridget Coughlin. "Small actions can turn into big solutions, and we believe the 24 million people in the United States who rely on this beautiful, massive resource for their drinking water, jobs and livelihoods want to be part of that wave of change. We look forward to working together in these commitments.”

The Great Lakes are the largest surface freshwater system on the Earth, making up approximately 21 percent of the world’s supply of surface freshwater. Additionally, more than 3,500 species of plants and animals live in the Great Lakes basin.

Plastic does not break down

By World Oceans Day on June 8, 2017, twenty Chicago-area restaurants (and counting!) were committing to Shedd the Straw, opting to not serve disposable plastic straws with drinks. This is happening all over the country.

All 19 aquariums are supporting this shift away from single-use plastic within their own businesses, and all ACP members have eliminated plastic straws and single-use plastic take-away bags in their institutions. In hopes of additional plastic reduction, the aquariums have also committed to:

Significantly reduce or eliminate plastic beverage bottles by December 2020

Showcase innovative alternatives to single-use plastic in their facilities

“The public trusts aquariums to do what’s right for the health of the ocean and for ocean wildlife,” said Julie Packard, executive director of the Monterey Bay Aquarium. “We’re just beginning to understand the full impacts of ocean plastic pollution on ecosystems, marine life and human health. But we already know enough to say that now is the time to act.”

Julie Packard at Monterrey Bay Aquarium

According to experts, about 8.8 million tons of plastic enters the ocean each year worldwide – roughly a dump truck full of plastic every minute of every day. In the United States alone, plastic waste averages more than 200 pounds per person each year. If nothing changes, by 2025 the flow of plastic into the ocean is expected to double. But, it’s not just the ocean that’s affected. Plastic pollution in lakes and rivers has been found at levels as high, or higher, than in oceanic gyres that concentrate plastic trash. Today, there are an estimated one billion plastic particles floating on the surface of Lake Michigan alone.

Brightly colored paper straws

“As leaders in aquatic conservation, aquariums are expected to walk their talk, and that’s exactly what this partnership is meant to do,” said National Aquarium CEO John Racanelli. “We are uniquely qualified to set an example for others—in reducing our plastic footprint, encouraging sustainable operating practices, and inspiring hope in a public that is hungry to be part of the solution. We’re right where we should be.”

This summer, the aquariums are focusing on raising awareness and sparking consumer action, and sharing their own success stories to highlight the many ways they’ve cut back on single-use plastic in their operations.

They are working with business partners to showcase innovative alternatives to single-use plastic products, and will collaborate with vendors to accelerate design of new products and materials. They are also finding ways to use less plastic packaging in gift store items, and scaling back on single-use plastic in their cafes and restaurants.

The aquariums are also using their collective voice – at the local, state and national level – to support policies that reduce the flow of plastic pollution into the ocean, rivers and lakes. Beyond sponsoring clean-up events and education programs, many have backed successful efforts to stem the use of plastic shopping bags and plastic microbeads found in personal care products.

One example is Go Green Wilmette as they encourage residents of Wilmette and neighboring communities to say “No Straw, Please!’ when they go to restaurants or order takeout beverages. They have suggested alternatives to single use plastic straws at community events and these include; reusable stainless straws, verified BPA- and BPS-free Silicone straws, Pyrex and bamboo straws; and compostable paper and bamboo straws. Some members of Go Green Illinois (formerly CONSEG) are also spreading the word to individual communities.

No straw, please, Photo:Courtesy of Go Green Wilmette

“Small actions by individuals can make a difference as the health of wildlife in our waterways is in our hands,” said Coughlin. “It’s up to all of us to be the solution.”

More about Shedd Aquarium’s efforts to decrease the plastic footprint of Chicago and Illinois, as well as individual ways you can #ActWithShedd can be found at the AquariumConservationPartnership